US EditionScientists use AI facial analysis to predict cancer survival outcomes
- Researchers at Mass General Brigham developed FaceAge, an AI model using facial photos to predict biological age and cancer survival outcomes, reported in 2025.
- The algorithm was developed using a dataset of 58,851 images of presumably healthy adults over 60 and subsequently evaluated on 6,196 cancer patients whose photographs were captured prior to beginning radiotherapy.
- FaceAge revealed that cancer patients tend to have a biological age nearly five years greater than their actual age, and elevated FaceAge scores were linked to poorer survival outcomes regardless of patients’ age, gender, or type of tumor.
- Doctors' predictions of six-month survival improved by 20% with FaceAge data, though initial accuracy was little better than chance, and the AI focuses on subtle facial features unlike humans.
- Researchers are training a second-generation model with 20,000 patients and plan a public portal for further validation, emphasizing ethical use to benefit patients amid concerns about AI bias.
41 Articles
41 Articles
AI tool uses facial images to predict biological age and cancer survival
Eyes may be the window to the soul, but a person's biological age could be reflected in their facial characteristics. Investigators from Mass General Brigham developed a deep learning algorithm called FaceAge that uses a photo of a person's face to predict biological age and survival outcomes for patients with cancer.
Can a Photograph Reveal Your Biological Age?
It’s no secret that some people appear to age faster than others, especially after enduring stressful periods. But some scientists think a person’s physical appearance could reveal more about them than meets the eye — down to the health of their tissues and cells, a concept known as “biological age.” In a new study, published Thursday in The Lancet Digital Health, researchers trained artificial intelligence to estimate the biological ages of adu…
The Independent
perspectivemedia.comNew study finds ‘simple selfie’ can help predict patients’ cancer survival
The tool, FaceAge, uses an image of someone’s features to determine their ‘biological age’.
AI tool uses face photos to estimate biological age and predict cancer outcomes
Eyes may be the window to the soul, but a person's biological age could be reflected in their facial characteristics. Investigators from Mass General Brigham developed a deep learning algorithm called "FaceAge" that uses a photo of a person's face to predict biological age and survival outcomes for patients with cancer.
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